[The men hesitate; then all—except twelve, including Yorul, who step into the circle—depart fearfully.]
THE TWELVE Hail, Egil!
[The folk cry out; some go from the scene, others into the temple.]
EGIL [Seizing up with both hands the silver bowl.] Hail, liegemen! Twelve and one, we are enough To vow ourselves to vengeance ’gainst the world. A pledge, here! Ho, a pledge to groom and bride! Drink pledge with me, in Odin’s altar blood. Thordis and vengeance! Hail!
THE TWELVE Thordis and vengeance!
[Egil drinks from the silver bowl.]
Scene II: The interior of Egil’s lodge in the
forest; toward twilight.
The room is roughly built of logs, long cross-beams overhead. From these (in the right corner, back) hang suspended the bodies and skins of antelope, bear, and wild game; and beneath these—piled upon a bench against the wall—a heap of furs and hides. Centre, back, a door. Left, in the earthen floor, a hearth with ashes; above it, a hole in the roof. Beyond this hearth, left, sitting at the open window, Frida, alone. She looks out dreamily toward the forest, from which horns echo and answer. Suddenly she starts up, gazes intently, gives a low cry, and, dodging down as she passes the window, springs across to the heap of hides, among which she conceals herself. After a pause, the door opens; Egil enters, panting—evidently pursued. His brow is bleeding, and he limps. Turning to bar the door, he lets fall a bloodied wolf’s skin. Immediately he snatches it up caressingly; gazes around, listens enraged to the horns, limps swiftly to the hearth, hesitates; then, as a sudden horn-blast resounds close by, falls on his knees, digs ferociously in the ashes with his two hands like an animal, thrusts the wolf’s skin in the cavity, and covers it over with the ashes, carefully replacing the charred brands on top. Swiftly, then, binding up his bleeding brow and thigh, he unbars the door, seizes a whip from a corner, and springs stealthily out of the window. At the same moment, horses are heard to gallop up to the lodge; the door bursts open; Yorul and Rolf appear on the sill.
YORUL He came this way. Look here, Rolf, in the sand— And here: are not these paw-prints?